PS3 PS2 ISO generation on PS3

[Charles_n_town]

not exactly, each vme is its own thing with its own game. if you use the placeholder, I think you can add multiple games to the vme, which is just the vmc encrypted. I don't recall for sure if it works that way, but I think it does. each ps2 classics contains two vmc or virtual memory cards, but custom versions require the placeholder, which could be several games. you can add games via .ps2 to .vmc iirc, then encrypt them. I think it's a pita. I don't know if it's any easier or not as I haven't been in the scene for years, unfortunately, but bypassing the vme in cfw would be easier. a lot of things are more difficult with hen.

 

[Berion]

@Rissy

https://www.psx-place.com/resources/virtual-memory-cards.1392/
*.VM1 are raw PSX card images (128KiB).
*.VM2 are raw PS2 card images with ECC (8,25MiB (8650752)).
*.VME are encrypted *.VM2 using target game klicense.

Depend of emulator and method, VM2 or VME been in usage.

Paths etc. are in Ultimate User Backup Guide which you - as you stated before - read. :P
https://www.psx-place.com/threads/ultimate-userdata-backup-guide.29037/

 

[Rissy]

@Rissy

https://www.psx-place.com/resources/virtual-memory-cards.1392/
*.VM1 are raw PSX card images (128KiB).
*.VM2 are raw PS2 card images with ECC (8,25MiB (8650752)).
*.VME are encrypted *.VM2 using target game klicense.

Depend of emulator and method, VM2 or VME been in usage.

Paths etc. are in Ultimate User Backup Guide which you - as you stated before - read. :P
https://www.psx-place.com/threads/ultimate-userdata-backup-guide.29037/

Thanks Berion, I did read this, but like most things out there, it doesn't tell you the full why, when, or how.

Saves for PlayStation 2 games PS2 game saves are stored on virtual memory cards. Depending on the emulator used, these cards may be unencrypted (*.VM2) or encrypted (*.VME). All card images contain ECC blocks, so you cannot use the same VMC e.g. with Open PS2 Loader or PCSX2 without enriching them with data correction first. • Unencrypted VMCs can be created with the "Memory Card Utility (PS1/PS2)" from within XMB. You'll find them in "dev_hdd0/savedata/vmc/*.VM2". There, you will see all the saves that on that memory card, and from there you can export them to a PSV container for external storage (eg flash drive) ("dev_usb000/PS3/EXPORT/PSV/*.PSV"). • Encrypted VMCs, in turn, are stored in: "dev_hdd0/home//ps2emu2_savedata//SCEVMC0.VME". They can be exported to, e.g. a flash drive from within the XMB, with the "Save Data Utility (PS2)", then they will be exported to "dev_usb000/PS3/EXPORT/PS2SD//SCEVMC0.VME". In the case of so-called place holders, e.g. PS2 ISO/Classics Launcher (by Habib) v1.03, the GameID will always be the same, i.e. PS2U10000, but normally and for games purchased from the PlayStation Store, the GameID will be unique for each individual title.

So referring to your explanation here.
I have created virtual memory cards by extraction of save games from the real memory cards using my PS3 USB memory card reader.

- I have PS1 virtual memory cards (.VM1) which just work, and I have no issues with. so i have no reason to discuss these further now.

- I also have PS2 virtual memory cards (.VM2). These are memory card images with many game saves for many games in each case. They are NOT individual game saves.
You've mentioned this in the above, and gone on to explain that in this format, they are unencrypted. This is great. I understand the subject and the explanation of the meaning.
Then you've gone on to explain an alternative encrypted version of PS2 saves, but you don't explain if this is a full memory card format, or an individual game save format. You also haven't explained how to create these, and why you would need to in the first place (I'm still uncertain as I type this!). So what are the following please?

- Why would i need to encrypt PS2 game saves?
- When would this be useful? Is this going to allow me to do what I want to do?
- How do I do this?

Ultimately, I'm wanting to be able to load up my PS2 game saves (contained in my virtual memory cards) by running my PS2 games as converted packages, which right now I can't do, despite the fact I CAN if I simply load up the .ISO version of the game.

 

[Berion]

but you don't explain if this is a full memory card format, or an individual game save format.

:|

*.VM2 are raw PS2 card images with ECC (8,25MiB (8650752)).
*.VME are encrypted *.VM2 using target game klicense.

You also haven't explained how to create these, and why you would need to in the first place (I'm still uncertain as I type this!). So what are the following please?

Because of emulator you will use. There are 4 PS2 emulators in fw, only first two using VM2.

- Why would i need to encrypt PS2 game saves?

Saves aren't encrypted and emulators not understand saves.

 

[Rissy]

:|

Ah yes, of course. I clearly missed that. My apologies.

Because of emulator you will use. There are 4 PS2 emulators in fw, only first two using VM2.

Saves aren't encrypted and emulators not understand saves.

So what you're saying is that I need to encrypt unencrypted memory cards to make them readable by all four emulators on the console, not just whichever one it is that does work when you load into a PS2 .ISO game.

So how do I do this? Make the conversion. Is this done using the option in "ps2classics_GUI_2.2.3"?

Where do i put these after the conversion? Your document states:
"dev_hdd0/home/<user>/ps2emu2_savedata/<GameID>/SCEVMC0.VME"

Does this mean that I have to put a full converted (encrypted) PS2 virtual memory card into the appropriate game folder for every different game for that then to be visible and useable by the game package? Or can you extract only the relevant game saves from that encrypted memory card and put just that into the appropriate game folder instead, and if so, how?

 

[Rissy]

https://www.psx-place.com/resources/virtual-memory-cards.1392/

I was having a look at this download from the link you provided above (thanks).

What does one do with these. I've never seen this before. For either PS1 or PS2.

======================================================

For PS1, are all these extensions really all the different formats you can have for PS1 memory cards!?

What's the differences between these file extension types?

======================================================

For the PS2 folder, what is "with ECC" and what is "without ECC"? I don't know what "ECC" is.

What is the differences between these file extension types?

(I'm sorry, I'm still learning. Every day is a new thing coming to my attention that I need to learn!)

 

[Berion]

So what you're saying is that I need to encrypt unencrypted memory cards to make them readable by all four emulators on the console

There are 4 PS2 emulators in fw, only first two using VM2.

Or can you extract only the relevant game saves from that encrypted memory card and put just that into the appropriate game folder instead, and if so, how?

Saves aren't encrypted and emulators not understand saves.

I believe, you mixing up terms: saves with vmc (virtual memory cards/memory card images).

So how do I do this? Make the conversion. Is this done using the option in "ps2classics_GUI_2.2.3"?

For tests in time I writing tutorial, I encrypted them by hand. Cobra payload allow to use VM2 for mounted disc images (i.e mounted by WebMAN MOD) disguised as digital content distributed type, instead of encrypted.

Where do i put these after the conversion? Your document states:
"dev_hdd0/home/<user>/ps2emu2_savedata/<GameID>/SCEVMC0.VME"

Does this mean that I have to put a full converted (encrypted) PS2 virtual memory card into the appropriate game folder for every different game for that then to be visible and usable by the game package?

Exactly that, and encrypted by target klicense, normally unique per game but custom packages using some fallback key by default. That's what you must do to use your saves of course (saves are inside vmc, just a reminder). Normally package with PS2 game, digitally distributed type, contains blank VM2s as template, which are copied to above locations and used as vmc.

For PS1, are all these extensions really all the different formats you can have for PS1 memory cards!? What's the differences between these file extension types?

Majority yes, not all. In reality, different formats are: *.gme (used by DexDrive software for that device), *.saveram (just glued together two raw images, used by some obscure emulator), *.mem/*.vgs (used by VGS emulator), *.vmp (used by POPS on PSP/PSV/PSTV). They all are raw cards, just those specific have glued some header which you can cut and get pure image.

I don't know what "ECC" is.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Error_correction_code

What is the differences between these file extension types?

For PS2? Just a filename, for both types: ECC images (*.ps2, *.VM2) and non-ECC images (*.bin).